Key holder



Nov. 3,- 1942. R. c. slMPKlNs 2,300,979

l bKmCHOLDER Drigi'nal Filed Feb. 12, 1940 Patented Nov. 3, 1942 Roscoe C. Simpkins, Norman, Okla. v'

substituted for appiication Serial No. 318,496,

February 12, 1940.

1941, serial No. 339,257

(ci. '1c-456) i Claims.

This invention relates to a `key holder and it has particular reference to a device of this class adapted to be used for carrying or holding keys in a vcompact manner, with rmechanical means for instantly expelling said keys ready for use, which is fully described, illustrated and explained in the accompanying specification and drawlng.

While the key holder herein described is well adapted for carrying out the object of the present invention, it is to be understood that various modiiications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the drawing is to be considered merely as illustrative of and not restrictive on the broader claims appended hereto for various changes in design.

This type of holder may be made of metal, wood, plastic or other suitable material asdesired. A holder of the construction above described will, of course, be made in different lengths and diameters as may be desired.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a holder of the character specified embodying a structure which will mechanically expel any selected key from the case ready for instant use, leaving the other key or keys enclosed in said holder and out of the way.

Another object and advantage of this invention is its compactness, ease of operation, and time saved in selecting and expelling the key desired to be used which renders same exceptionally advantageous for the purpose for which it has been designed.

Other objects and advantages of this invention reside in certain novel features of construction, operation and convenience which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims and shown in the accompanying drawing which form a material part of this disclosure.

With the foregoing objects paramount, this invention has particular reference to the salient feature of construction and operation which will become manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

I attain these objects by arranging slots for keys in a member` provided with a hole on each side through which a screw rivet or other means of holding keys therein is inserted through said holes and keys with another member in telescopic relation to said iirst member with a tongue or protrusion extending over the end of said keys in such a manner as to hold said keys depressed in This application April 18,

said first member. Said second member is so arranged that the same may be operated to release a pre-selected key, leaving the other key or keys in a depressed or closed position until needed. Said first member is provided with a spring or other means of mechanically expelling selected keys housed therein.

This application is a substitute for my patent application Serial No. 318,496, iiled February 12,

i940, which was declared abandoned by the Patent Oiiice on December 19, 1940I for non-response within the statutory period.

In the drawing:`

Figure 1 is a perspective View oi the key holder, with the key in closed position.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section cut on the near side of the partition, showing the key being held upwardly against the sleeve extension by one of the prongs of the bifurcated spring.

, Figure 3 is a section in perspective, which more clearly shows the biiurcated spring andthe location of the partition inirelationship thereto.

AFigure 4 is a transverse Vsection on a line through the pin on the rotating sleeve and the arcuate slot in the rear end of the housing.

Figure 5 is a plan View showing the sleeve rotated toward the operator to a point where one of the keys has been released and thrown by the spring to its extended position, ready for use. Figure 6 is a rotating sleeve, showing the limiting pin and the extended portion which covers the ends of the key slots, land under which the keys are maintained under spring tension, when not in use.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the bifurcated spring.

E'ig. 8 is a fragmentary end View of the keeper.

Referring to the drawing in which corresponding parts are designated by similar characters of reference, the numeral l designates a bifurcated housing or body, and 2 an oscillatable sleevelike keeper mounted on one end of the body and formed with an extension 3, and an inwardly projecting movement limiting pin 4, the latter being positioned on the inner surface of said keeper. 5 cut in the end of the body I, the ends of the slot serving to limit the travel of the pin and hence the oscillatory movement of the keeper 2 on the body `l. Movement of the sleeve to its clockwise limit will uncover the edge of one key permitting it to be snapped to its open position, while the other key remains in its closed position. The forward movement of the sleeve is The pin 4 moves within an arcuate slotv limited by the depth of the arcuate slot, while backward movement is prevented by a disc 6 which is press-fitted into the rear end of the housing. This is clearly shown in Figure 2.

The bifurcated spring 'l is formed with a hook or bent portion 9 which press-fits into one end of the body I, and the other end of the spring 'I terminates in two prongs 8 which operate on either side of the partition ll which is between the two tines of the bifurcated body. The slot Hl receives the partition Il, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. The partition Il is provided with a hole through which a pivot pin I4 passes, and which pin forms the axis on which the keys pivot. The numerals l2 designate the keys, the inactive position as well as the operative position being shown in Figure 2.

A crescent-shaped notch I3 is out from both sides of the housing as well as from the partition Il, thus making it more convenient to press the keys to their locked position under the extension 3 of the keeper.

In order that the keeper 2 may not easily turn in the pocket or purse, thereby releasing the keys accidentally, a comparatively wide but shallow longitudinally extending groove 3a. is provided on the under side of the extension 3 within which groove the spring normally holds the edges of the keys. As the operator turns the sleeve to expel a certain key, the side of' the groove 3a will cam over the edge of the key, forcing the key to give down to allow the edge of the extension to pass out of the path of the key, at which time the spring 'I will force the key to its operative position, the other key remaining in its inoperative position.

When it is desired to use a particular key it is only necessary to turn the keeper 2 as far as it will turn away from that key, thus releasing the key to the expelling action of the spring '1, which will snap the key into operative position.

From the above it will be seen that a key holder is provided which is simple in construction, the parts being reduced to a minimum, and one in which a simple movement of the operators hand Will cause a selected key to be mechanically expelledfrom. the holder, ready for instant use, leaving the other key enclosed in the housing and out of the way. Other desirable features are its compactness, ease of operation, and time saved in selecting and expelling the key desired for use. It will be especially noted that the construction described requires no alteration or modication of the keys, and that this type holder may be made to accommodate keys of any size or shape.

I claim as new:

1. A key holder comprising: a bifurcated key holding body; a pivot pin mounted between the free ends of the tines of said body for pivotally mounting keys side by side between said tines; spring means adapted to bear against the keys mounted Within the body for normally urging them individually out of the body into an operative position; and a keeper rotatably mounted on one end of said body for normally retaining keys in inoperative position against the action of said spring means, and for selectively releasing individual keys to the action of said spring means.

2. A key holder comprising: a key holding body; al pvot pin for pivotally mounting keys therein side by side; spring means adapted to bear against one edge of each key mounted in said body for normally urging each key individually to move out of said body and into an operative position; and a sleeve type keeper rotatable on one end of said body for contacting the opposite edges of said keys for normally retaining the keys in inoperative position within the body against the action of said spring means, and for selectively releasing individual keys for movement into operative position under the influence of Said spring means.

3. A key holder comprising: a slotted key holding body; a cross pin for pivotally mounting the handles of a plurality of keys side by side within one end of said body; a sleeve type keeper rotatably mounted on the opposite end of said body for limited oscillatory movement with relation thereto, and adapted to completely cover one end of the slot in said body when in one position, and to uncover a limited portion only of said slot when moved in either direction from said one position; and spring means for urging keys mounted in the body to pivot out of the slot therein and into operative position when their respective portions of said slot are uncovered by the selective positioning of said keeper.

4. A key holder comprising: a slotted key holding body; a cross pin for pivotally mounting the handles of a plurality of keys side by side within one end of said body; a keeper mounted for limited rotational movement on the other end of said body, said keeper having an integral extension adapted to completely cover one end of the slot in said body when the keeper is in one position, and to luncover a limited portion only of said slot when the keeper is moved to its limit of rotation in either direction from said one position; and spring means for urging keys mounted in the slot in said body to pivot out of said slot and into useable position when their respective portions of said slot are uncovered by the selected positioning of said keeper.

' ROSCOE C. SIMPKINS. 

